Xtravagant Draws Well

Group 1 NZ 2000 Guineas' winner Xtravagant has drawn well for the $225,000 Group 1 Levin Classic and will jump from barrier two.  This week racing.com reported:

Super Kiwi colt Xtravagant (Pentire) takes his next step towards an Australian Guineas start when he lines up as the $1.50 favourite in Saturday's Group 1 Levin Classic at Trentham.

Xtravagant is the current $5 favourite for the Group 1 Australian Guineas in March following some dominant performances in New Zealand over the past few months and his trainer Stephen Autridge today confirmed that Melbourne was firmly on the colt's agenda.

''His number one target is to win these Group 1 races over here and then go to Melbourne and hopefully win the Australian Guineas,'' Autridge said.

''There are a number of options ahead for us, but that is the number one goal. We've just got to decide the best way to get there (Melbourne).''

Saturday's $225,000 Levin Classic is a three-year-old race over 1600 metres in Wellington, but despite his short odds, Autridge was not getting ahead of himself. ''It'll be a very good field don't worry about that. It'll have good depth and it'll give us a good indication as to how he'll measure up over there.''

Xtravagant has raced six times for four wins, but it was the manner of his 8.5 length victory in the 2000 Guineas in November that has the Pentire colt rated so highly.

Xtravagant last raced just before Christmas when he cantered home in a race at Ellerslie and Autridge said the horse was not wound up for that race and has since improved his condition.

''He's been working along very well since his last run. He did some nice work yesterday and (we gave) him a little more Tuesday and that'll have him spot-on for Saturday.''

As well as being highly fancied for the Australian Guineas, Xtravagant is also marked as the $5 second favourite behind Victoria Derby winner Tarzino for the Australian Derby at Randwick in April. But his place in the race is still far from confirmed.

''Breeding wise, you'd think he'd be crying out for the derby distance but while he's going the way he's going, you'd be mad to try and change things,'' Autridge said.

Autridge said it was increasingly likely that Xtravagant would follow Saturday's race with a start in a Group 1 weight-for-age race in Te Rapa on February 13, which would serve as his final lead-in run to the Australian Guineas on March 5.